Christians are under a mandate from Christ to forgive, to accept forgiveness for our trespasses, and to extend forgiveness for those who trespass against us. It is a joyful mandate, for it is through forgiveness that we are made whole. We pray about forgiveness every time we worship together.
But how do you forgive when you’re not even sure who to forgive? Does the forgiveness mandate extend to someone like Putin, or is there an international exemption? Does it count as forgiveness if you just outlive all the trespassers you’re supposed to forgive?
These are questions that this Sunday’s preacher will raise so that our real pastors can answer them when they get back, refreshed from watching an almost reasonable facsimile of baseball.
In this service, Rev. John McFarland will preach the sermon titled, “The Chaos of Forgiveness.” The sermon arises from I John 1: 5-10 and Matthew 6: 5-14, which will be read by Mark Cox. The Chancel Choir, accompanied by Ilze Akerbergs, will lead us in worship. We’ll have hymns, prayers and a moment for children.
If you have been part of the St. Mark’s community for a long time, a short time, or will be joining us for the first time, we look forward to connecting with those of you here in-person or joining on the livestream. To join online, visit www.smumc.church at 10:30 AM, and click on the Live Stream banner.